“We have heard about the goodness of your daughters. People all say they are good and smart, clever girls …”

No vices whatsoever/ the goodness of your daughters … good grief … who even writes like that?

And so the letter went (in sister’s heavily disguised handwriting ) …From one mother to another …Sis and I barely contain ourselves …

Mum eyes continued to scan the handwritten lines. “I would be so happy to hear from you regarding this matter if your elder girl is still unattached. My friend, Mrs. M. tells me she is 22 years of age. In fact, your sister, Ruby …”

I’m the ‘elder girl’ …

“You may remember the times we shared as children.” Mum began to look puzzled.

Her jaw finally dropped when she came to the end of the letter. “PS: We prefer a spacious house in Colombo with garden and attached baths.”

Dowry details! Eek …

Who better than a boy’s fond mama to take the bull by the horns …

We could almost read Mum’s thoughts –

What cheek!

“I don’t remember this lady,” Mum mumbled almost to herself, and ran to the phone to dial Aunty Ruby’s number.

“Hello, how are you dear? I just received a strange letter … sounds a little eccentric … who are these people?”

Definitely not!

Sister and I held our sides and roared. We laughed ourselves into stitches.

It all began some months before, when a close school friend of Mum’s asked if she would contact a certain family (who had an eligible son) regarding a formal proposal of marriage for their youngest daughter.

Girl in question was pretty, a recent university graduate, now on the Marriage Market. Parents were anxious to have her fixed up and settled.

Older sister of said Young Lady got entangled with Completely Unacceptable Young Man and eloped when well-to-do Daddy refused to give his consent. Daddy disowned her. A year later, when First Grandchild was born, Starving Couple were ushered back into the family fold.

Get the picture?God forbid that history should repeat itself, right? Okay, so stage is set …

Mum obliged and our home served as venue for introduction between Sweet Young Thing and Very Acceptable Beau.

Cousin Ranji was staying over that weekend. She, Sister and I eavesdropped from behind the drawing room drapes.

No TV in Sri Lanka then. This was far better, delicious entertainment, served up on a platter …

Me (left) and Sister (centre) with Cousin Ranji, possibly that same weekend. We had too much fun to miss TV when we were kids. (Pic. of Daughters celebrating 12th birthday at Disney World)

Young Pair sat at one end of the room to get acquainted. Mothers made small talk close by.

Recipes and stuff …

Two dads at farthest corner.

Mum and Dad sat in on the powwow – being it was their home and all. Awkward …

Things suddenly grew ugly. Raised daddy-voices.

Dirty dowry matters …

Young Man’s father haggled for more.

What Girl’s Dad said …What Boy’s Father hoped to hear …

Sweet Young Thing’s father finally agreed to throw in a lorry along with the house and land.

Or something like that …

Cousin Ranji, Sis and I are horrified.

We’ve travelled back into antiquity …

Deadlock. Evening concludes in chilly huff.

But no one counted on Young Pair falling madly in love.

Definitely! Head over heels for each other …

Completely unexpected turn of events …

Now unacceptable, Young Man contacted and romanced Sweet Young Thing on the sly.

Was it ever! Boy, oh boy …

Mum politely declined when asked to intervene.

He won’t!

Sweet Young Thing phones to weep on Mum’s shoulder …

Persistent suitor

Romeo and Juliet elope to overseas destination. Daddy disowns Little Girl, then throws arms wide open when she returns from honeymoon with baby on the way.

Yay! Forgive and forget …

They defiantly tied the knot

Found out later that Rejected Romeo and one of the cousins were co-workers at the time of Nebulous Nuptial Goings On. They were quite good friends and I’d met him at one of her birthday parties.

Only in Sri Lanka …

…………………………………………………………………

Found an old scrapbook of letters and cards written by Sister, cousins and me when we were children. Carefully dated and captioned by Mum.

Mum was sentimental about everything. She would have kept every birthday and Christmas card she ever received if Dad hadn’t protested.

Sis and I wrote little notes and longer letters all the time.

Me (left) with Sister. Probably born with a pen in my hand!

About everything.

Hilarious notes from Sister …

Thank you for being so kind. Please buy peppermints! (No idea why she asked for prayer …)Forgive me for being so rude. I am very hungry … (Looks like she went to bed without dinner. Don’t recall the incident.)I fell ill today. Feel very much down in the dumps. (Sis was a precocious little thing)From me. My dearest Mummy … Written while spending some days with Cousin Dili at Aunty Ruby’s home. The younger cousins all went to Sunday School together

Mostly to Mum.

Sister’s handwriting

So when it came time to play a prank on a long-suffering mother, inspired by recent events, one would automatically resort to letter-writing.

“My dear Beatrice …”

Poor Mum. We teased her unmercifully and she was always such a good sport about it. Don’t think Sister or I ever ‘fessed up or divulged the source of the written proposal of marriage that once came my way.

We kept out lips sealed!

Dirty deeds!

And now I’ve two daughters of my own.

Full circle. What goes around surely comes around!

The memories flooded in when eyes wandered over the yellowed sheet of notepaper taped to the fraying page of Mum’s scrapbook.

With sister’s heavily disguised handwriting on it. She must have figured it out …

Thankful for Mum’s sentimentality that induced her save all this stuff.

Take a walk in Selina’s Summer Garden Of Dreaming 2018

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Meet Selina

A writer, dreamer, thespian, cancer survivor, gardener, creative artist, believer in miracles, the power of prayer and second chances, wife, mother.
Author of Next Week On Thursday (now in audio book on Selina's You-Tube channel). Author of the musical, Maria Nostra Amica.